The New Guy
by Crystal Hope Dragon
Summary: Fresh out of the academy and into division 1, a new face records his discoveries in a journal. Bit by bit he learns of the mystery that is Edogawa Conan.


This is unbeta'd, so sorry for any mistakes. Please enjoy an excerpt from the journal of the new guy in division 1.

Work journal:

Month: 1 Day: 2

Today was my second day in division 1. I was assigned paperwork duty as most new detectives are. I was surprised at the sheer number of murders that happen in Tokyo alone. I was informed during training that the crime rate was low, but my first two days on the force have already proven contradictory to that.

There was a murder case today as well. I didn't know what had happened at first. Inspector Megure answered a phone call, then shouted at senior detectives Tagaki and Sato that it was a 0305. He said the code in English for some reason. I asked detective Chiba what the code meant, and he laughed. He said I would find out soon enough. I found out from the gossip in the break room later that a murder had happened, but no one would tell me what the code meant.

Month: 1 Day: 4

I just finished the paperwork on the murder from my second day. It was an easy solve from the detectives, but there was something that caught my eye. There were five people listed under witnesses and assistants. The one at the top of the list was an Edogawa Conan. I had heard the name before around the office but I had yet to meet him. He had appeared on many of the other files I had documented, most of the murders actually. When I asked detective Shiratori about him though, he just smiled slightly and said I would meet him in time. I could get no further information out of anyone on him.

There was a murder today as well. No one in the office would tell me much, but the code was 0305. I confirmed in the break room later that an 0305 was nearly always a murder. When I asked what the correlation was if it wasn't the crime, they laughed and said I would find out later.

Month: 1 Day: 8

I finally figured out what 0305 means.

In English, the 3rd letter of the alphabet is C and the 5th E. Names are said first name to surname. Conan Edogawa. That was the correlation. They have a code for when this man is present at the crime scene.

I finally figured it out when filing the second 0305 case from last week. There was no correlation in the location, method of murder, or even the victim or culprit. The only similarity was the person on the witness and assistant list. It was only him this time, none of the other four reoccurrences. I was thinking how he was always involved in 0305 cases, and I was trying to find the code's correlation with him. Then I remembered they always say the code in English, and it clicked.

When I asked Inspector Megure if I had guessed accurately, he laughed and slapped me on the back. He said I was ready for the field. I guess figuring out Edogawa Conan's involvement is a right of passage around here?

O, and there was another murder today.

Month: 1 Day: 12

I had built a mental picture of what to expect of Edogawa Conan. Based on the sheer number of murders he had been around, I had assumed he was some form of hardened detective. The little I could get out of the others on him informed me he was a young genius, so I assumed he would be in his 20's, maybe fresh out of high school at his youngest.

I wasn't expecting to walk onto my first crime scene to find a 9 year old sniffing around for evidence. I didn't know who he was, so my first instinct was to try and shoo him away before he contaminated the scene. Senior detective Sato grabbed my arm before I could. She smiled kindly and told me to not interfere with his work. I looked back and noticed he was giving orders to both the other detectives and forensics. I watched in amazement as he quickly summed up the crime and produced evidence without even letting the innocent smile leave his face.

I turned to senior detective Tagaki and asked who he was. He just raised an eyebrow.

"You're the one who kept asking about him, shouldn't you know?" He smiled kindly and walked me over to the scene.

"Conan-kun, meet the new guy."

Month: 3 Day: 1

I've learned two things in the time I've been here. One, they don't value formality. In writing or in speech, it is better to be comfortable around them, and they will accept you faster. A lot faster. Two, expect the unexpected.

Conan-kun wasn't what I was expecting. Then again, this department wasn't what I was expecting.

I came into this prepared for a bunch of hardened professionals who had seen the worst in life and became slightly detached from it as a result. In reality? I met a group of people who had seen the worst in life and learned to value it as a result.

I expected to meet monsters when investigating murders. The reality? I met a bunch of idiots who didn't think before they acted, or did something on impulse when feeling trapped. They were more relatable then I thought. There were monsters too of course, but not as many as I expected.

I though children would remain as far from the cruelty of humanity as possible. In truth? They were investigating it themselves. Not just Conan-kun, but his four friends as well. They learn and grow around the darkness, learning the value of life from it just as the adult detectives have.

I came into this expecting those same children to be full of innocent wonder or broken pain. Instead I met Conan. Not so innocent Conan who puts on a fake smile and cheery voice for the adults. Conan, who only truly smiles when the other kids or teens are happy. Conan, who does seem haunted under those smiles but is far from broken.

I finally figured out why no one talks about him. If you don't see it for yourself, you won't really see how amazing he is under all the layers. And figuring out the layers to him is like figuring out the layers to the world. One amazing, painful, hope filled adventure at a time.


End file.
